20th matchday
“It hurts so bad”: Schalke struggles with zero number
Schalke’s Michael Frey team were disallowed for two goals for offside. photo
© Bernd Thissen/dpa
Schalke goalkeeper Ralf Fährmann keeps his goal clean again – but it’s not enough for three points in the 0-0 draw against weak Wolfsburg.
The Schalke fans celebrated their team, from the Wolfsburg curve there were whistles for the VfL pros. Disappointed players, who crept across the pitch with hanging heads, were seen on both sides after the 0-0 draw in Friday’s Bundesliga match between FC Schalke 04 and VfL Wolfsburg.
“It is completely understandable that the disappointment is huge because you have seen the development of the last few games,” said Schalke goalkeeper Ralf Fährmann after the third draw in a row on the DAZN streaming service.
Coach Thomas Reis’ team, which was newly recruited in the winter, even scored goals this time. Goals from Alex Král (50th minute) and Michael Frey (76th) were disallowed for offside. The gap to the relegation place at the weekend threatens to increase to seven points. “It hurts like hell,” commented Fährmann on the goals that weren’t given. “We need three points, without any ifs or buts,” he said with a view to the upcoming tasks. Defender Maya Yoshida said: “We can still do everything. The development is positive. We just need goals. But that’s the most difficult thing in football.”
VfL captain Arnold misses a penalty
The zero number was also a disappointment for Lower Saxony. In terms of play and fighting, it was a really bad performance by the seventh in the table, who can hardly be considered a candidate for the European Cup. Captain Maximilian Arnold also missed a penalty early (9th). “You can shoot him better by shooting him in,” Arnold said.
“I can only apologize to the team. It’s a different game when I make it 1-0. We didn’t calm down at all like that.” The captain criticized: “Schalke bought our guts, we didn’t find our game at all.” VfL played without courage.
Schalke attacking with accents, defensively safe
The game was made by the bottom of the table, who had improved again and had previously played 0-0 against Cologne and Mönchengladbach. With returnee Rodrigo Zalazar and winter loan Frey up the storm, Schalke, spurred on by 60,836 vociferous fans, made at least a little alarm this time offensively as well. Defensively, the Reis team was safe again. This was also due to the weak opponents from Wolfsburg, who played similarly uninspired as the previous Schalke opponents Mönchengladbach.
With the help of the video referee, the Lower Saxony almost unexpectedly took the lead early on. After almost ten minutes, after studying the video images at the edge of the field, Benjamin Brand suddenly awarded VfL a penalty for no apparent reason. Only the TV pictures showed what was hidden from the spectators in the stadium: Moritz Jenz stepped on the foot of Wolfsburg’s Patrick Wimmer at the edge of the penalty area. However, VfL captain Arnold put the penalty on the left post.
In the second round, Schalke remained committed, poisonous and strong, but also unlucky. Král and Frey’s goals were celebrated like salvation before the referee team intervened. Far too little came from Wolfsburg to put pressure on the European Cup places again.